


Leatherpaw

by LawrenceKinden



Series: White Lotus Stories [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Bare Bottom, Fantasy, Guardian Plushie, Moonlight, Spanking, nude, slumber party, spank, teddy bear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawrenceKinden/pseuds/LawrenceKinden
Summary: Summer convinced her parents to let her have friends over on the Autumnal Equinox by reminding them of Leatherpaw, a big old teddy bear with the Guardian Plushie enchantment. [Story Depicts Spanking]
Series: White Lotus Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565545
Kudos: 6





	Leatherpaw

Summer Rosen had been absolutely delighted when her parents had given her permission to have some friends over for the night of the Autumnal Equinox. Then she’d been despondent when her parents had been invited to a big important Equinox Convocation. Summer was a responsible girl and her parents considered her old enough, at thirteen, to be home alone when they were out and about, but home alone with a trio of friends was an altogether different matter. When she’d been little, Summer and her parents had held small Equinox observations together. It was an auspicious time and those mystically inclined often took the time to align themselves with the energies of the elements, especially those of the White Lotus. Both of Summer’s parents were in the White Lotus, her mother as a chorister, her father as a healer, and being invited to the Autumnal Convocation was an honor.

Which was precisely why Summer had wanted to have her friends over. She’d hoped to host her own little convocation. She found her proclivity for light magic was well balanced by her friends and the equinox would have been the perfect time to cement that balance.

So she’d done everything she could, short of being a pest, to get her parents to agree to let her have her friends over even though they would be out.

“What about Leatherpaw?” she’d asked.

Leatherpaw was a two meter tall teddy bear Summer had had since she’d been a baby. It was a barrel-chested, thick-legged plushie with dark brown fur, a black nose, and bright black eyes. The pads of its feet were a thick rough leather and the claws were carved bone. It had been enchanted with the Guardian Plushie spell, meant to protect children in the nursery. Summer’s parents had entrusted their daughter’s safety with the enchanted teddy bear more than once when she’d been small.

Her father had nodded thoughtfully. “If you were only a year or two older, it wouldn’t even be an issue,” he said. “But the equinox can be a fraught time as well as auspicious. I worry what you girls will get up to without adult supervision.”

Summer would have been insulted if her father hadn’t looked so concerned. She and her friends were the epitome of well-behaved. Well, except that Jacoba could be a bit of a miscreant, and that Enya had a mischievous streak, and that Chloe had punched that boy’s nose when he'd been rude.

“I promise we’d be on our best behavior,” Summer had said. “We just want to meditate together on the equinox. Then we’ll make popcorn and watch movies all night.”

Her mother had gone to the bookshelf and withdrawn one of her spellbooks. “I’m sure the old bear will need a re-upping of the enchantment. But, if you can get your friends’ parents to agree, then I think it’s not a bad idea. Young mystics need to develop their energies as much as us old folx.”

Which was how Summer had been allowed to have her friends over to her place with no adults for an entire evening. She’d planned for everything. They were stocked up on snacks and she’d gotten out all the extra quilts and pillows and bedrolls. There were DVDs of chickflicks and horror films and action movies. There were board games and card games and even a séance board.

And even though Jacoba and Enya and Chloe had been her friends since they’d been first years together, even though they’d stayed over with each other dozens of times, even though they’d shared all their secrets, Summer was nervous.

When the day came, the four of them spent all day at school together, excited for their evening together.

“We could contact the other side,” said Jacoba. She was an autumn witch with a penchant for corvids. Her curly black hair and sapphire eyes shone against her dark skin.

“We could build a huge bonfire,” said Enya. She was a pyromantic winter witch. Her auburn hair and emerald eyes were unusual for a winter witch, but her pale skin almost like snow.

“We could dance naked in the moonlight,” said Chloe, the flora-aligned spring witch of the group. She had dark, honey-colored haired and startling amethyst eyes.

Summer cleared her throat delicately. “I promised my parents we’d behave. Didn’t you all promise yours too?”

“Of course,” said Chloe. “I’m just teasing. But how did you get your parents to agree? Mom said something about a teddy bear?”

“Leatherpaw,” Summer explained. “It’s got the Guardian Plushie enchantment on it. And…” Summer cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. The enchantment allowed an animal plushie to animate, taking on the qualities of the animal it was modeled after to protect its charges. It was fairly common. But the enchantment in her mother’s spellbook, the one she’d used to re-up the enchantment, included a special rider.

“Oh sure,” said Chloe. “I’ve got a stuffed tiger my parents used that spell on when I was a baby.”

“Mine was a wolf,” said Enya.

“Raven,” said Jacoba. “But was yours just the guardian spell or did it have the…” she blushed and looked away. “You know, the extra part.”

Summer blushed harder. “It has the extra part.”

“What’s the extra part?” asked Chloe.

“The… um… the discipline part,” said Summer.

“Oh. That,” said Chloe.

All four girls wouldn’t look at each other for several moments, blushing. But when Summer finally looked at Enya and they made brief eye-contact, Summer giggled, just a bit.

“Wait, so did all of you get spanked by your guardian plushies too?”

There was a silent round of nodding, and soon the girls dissolved into gales of giggles, so much so that they had to be shushed by their teacher who gave them a stern look.

When school finally let out, the four of them walked to Summer’s place together, the long shadows of early afternoon on the Autumn Equinox following along behind, cool zephyrs going on ahead. Summer’s parents were already out by the time they got home and the girls had the run of the place. First, they laid out the bedrolls in the family room and piled them with quilts and pillows. 

Then, even though afternoon sunlight still streamed through the window, they decided to change into their nighties right away. Just like when they’d been little.

Summer had a brand new nightie of silky blue with a small white sunburst at her chest. It was slim at her waist and followed her hips and made her feel like she was quite nearly an adult. Jacoba’s was deep purple with ravens along the hem. Enya’s was white with little scarlet snowflakes at the neckline. Chloe’s was bright pink with a printed daffodil pattern. All of them, Summer noted, were also new.

“I take it that’s Leatherpaw?” said Jacoba.

In the corner of the room sat the large teddy bear, slumped against the wall like a mildly annoyed older brother. Summer couldn’t help but feel a sense of comfort in its presence. Not that anything would happen. It was a safe neighborhood in a safe city. There was nothing that might threaten them, nothing that would trigger the enchantment.

Summer patted the teddy bear’s shoulder. “Yup.”

“It’s massive,” Enya said.

“When’s the last time it spanked you?” Chloe asked.

Summer blushed.

“Hey now,” said Jacoba. “Don’t ask that.” But she also sounded curious.

“I think I was… ten. Maybe eleven,” Summer said. “I was trying to light a candle with magic and I missed. Twice.”

Enya snickered, then blushed. “Sorry. It’s just, I’ve been known to be a bit reckless lighting fires myself. Dad’s always telling me to be careful with my candles.”

“That’s not so bad,” said Jacoba. “Dad spanked me a few weeks ago when Mr. Wills sent home a note about all my tardies.”

The others all looked at Jacoba, surprised she still got spanked. Or at least surprised she’d admit it at thirteen years old. Jacoba just shrugged.

They started the afternoon with a cute chickflick and popcorn. They were regularly interrupted by knocks at the door, at which point they'd all gather to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters canvassing the neighborhood. The girls gushed over the costumes (witches and goblins and zombies galore) and were generous with the sweets. As afternoon turned to evening and the trick-or-treaters returned to the safety of their homes, the girls ordered pizza in preparation for a horror movie. By the end of the movie, when the last teenager was gruesomely hacked apart in the poorly lit basement, fake blood spurting all over the set, it was fully dark and the only light in the room was the television. The girls huddled under the same blanket in breathless silence as the credits rolled, still and wide eyed. 

“Well,” said Jacoba with an explosive sigh.

Chloe squealed with fright and shoved Jacoba, who shoved back, and soon the girls were shoving and giggling and falling over each other with a relief.

Summer went around turning on the lights in the living room and the kitchen, wondering if more popcorn would be required. She decided it would and filled the air-popper.

“I don’t know,” Enya said as Summer returned. “I think I could outrun a zombie. They’re real slow. And we all know the shielding charm. That machete couldn’t break through a magic shield.”

“We weren’t watching a horror movie for its realism,” Chloe replied.

Jacoba ignored the conversation, staring at Leatherpaw. When she saw Summer had rejoined them, she leaned close and whispered, “What do you think it would take to get it to spank me?”

Summer blinked at the other girl. Jacoba wasn’t a bad kid by any stretch, but she liked to test the rules. Summer was a bit surprised she’d want to test this particular enchantment though.

“Um, what? I’m not sure,” said Summer.

Jacoba blinked at Summer as though waking up, then blushed. “Not that I want a spanking or anything, I’m just wondering. You know, what will trigger the enchantment, exactly?”

Summer looked at the teddy bear. The shadows on its face made it look like it was frowning slightly. “I think it’s only dangerous stuff. Not, like, swearing or anything that simple. It’s a Guardian spell after all.”

“Fuck,” said Jacoba.

The other three stared at her, then looked at Leatherpaw. The large, stuffed plushie didn’t twitch.

“Shit,” said Enya with unconcealed glee.

“Cunt!” Chloe shouted.

They all looked at her, cheeks red, and giggled. Leatherpaw did nothing.

“Hmm. You said it spanked you for missing with a fire spell, right?” said Enya.

Summer looked at her, suddenly worried. “Please don’t set my house on fire.”

Enya snorted. “I’m not that stupid, promise. But what if…” She looked around. “Doesn’t your family believe in candles?”

After a bit of digging, Summer found a quartet of candles in the stuff-drawer in the kitchen. They were tall and thick and white with pristine wicks. She set them upon the kitchen counter and they all gathered at the spot where the family room became the kitchen.

“Seriously, Enya, be careful.”

Enya gave Summer a dirty look. “Have a little more faith in me than that.” She looked at the candles, concentration palpable. They all felt the pressure of gathering mana. Then, with a gesture, Enya channeled that power through her predilection for flame. The air above the candles whumphed. There was a burst and bloom of flame, then each wick burned with a small steady flame.

The girls turned as one to look at Leatherpaw.

The teddy bear was still.

“Maybe it needs to think you need protection,” said Chloe. “What if I hit you?” Before Summer could object, Chloe slugged her on the shoulder.

Surprised, Summer cried out and staggered to the side. It didn’t hurt much, but it hurt enough. Summer shoved Chloe, Chloe shoved her back. Summer took a swing at Chloe’s shoulder in retribution but Chloe was quick enough to duck away. Summer was about to pursue when she noticed movement in the corner.

She stopped and watched as the plushie shifted, sitting up a little straighter. It must have been a trick of the light, but she thought its frown had grown deeper. Summer loved that giant old teddy bear, but she felt a clench of apprehension in her chest as the enchantment took hold. She knew it wouldn’t hurt her, not really, but still. She definitely didn’t want to provoke the enchantment into spanking her in front of her friends.

“Maybe,” said Summer, “we shouldn’t poke the bear. So to speak.”

Chloe cleared her throat. “Yeah. You’re probably right. Sorry, Summer.”

Summer sighed. “It’s fine.” She gave Chloe a small shove.

“Hey!” Chloe giggled and shoved her back.

Leatherpaw shifted and Summer thought she heard a low grumble.

Summer hunched her shoulders and shuffled her feet. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

The girls stood close together, looking at Leatherpaw nervously.

Eventually, Jacoba said, “So… what now then?”

Summer cleared her throat nervously, remembering why she’d wanted her friends over on this of all nights. “Could we maybe… meditate together?”

“Oh, yeah!” Chloe enthused. “I forgot about that part.”

“If we do it outside, we could build a fire,” said Enya. The others looked at her. “In the fire pit,” she clarified. Then she looked at Summer. “Would your parents mind?”

Summer shook her head. “I shouldn’t think so. Oh! And we could have tea and it’s nearly a full moon and…” She squealed with excitement.

Summer blew out the candles Enya had lit with magic. Then Chloe and Jacoba helped her in the kitchen, combing through the selection of tea, putting on a kettle to boil, and selecting four large, thick, mismatched mugs suitable for taking to the back patio. Meanwhile, Enya went through the sliding glass door to the patio and began gathering wood from the nearby chest. 

The girls inside were startled at the deep thump and wash of heat and flash of light from out back. They hurried to the door and Summer slid it open. Enya stood staring at the conflagration she’d built in the patio’s fire pit. After a few moments, it died down but was still far larger than a fire Summer’s parents would have approved of.

Enya turned to look at the other, eyes wide. “I may have, um…” She stepped into the house and the others made way for her. She looked at Summer. “We might want to let it burn down a bit before we go out there.”

Summer was trying to think of what to say when suddenly Leatherpaw was there. He trundled on silent feet and none of them had noticed him until he shouldered Summer aside, stood upon his hind feet, and took Enya up in a big bear hug, wrapping both arms about her middle, leaning back to lift her off her feet. Enya squeaked and the others took several steps back, watching on in awe. Leatherpaw turned so the girls could all see what came next.

The way Leatherpaw had lifted Enya, the girl’s nightie rode up to reveal her underpanties. They were vivid scarlet with a wide, white elastic waistband a frilly white lace at the cuffs. Summer had to wonder if that had been purposeful. She wasn’t sure how sophisticated the enchantment was.

Leatherpaw held Enya tight with his left arm and raised his right.

The girls gave a collective gasp.

The sound of the guardian plushie’s leather paw against Enya’s pantied bottom was surprisingly mild, but they all still winced. He raised his paw again and again, delivering three swats in all, then released her. Enya dropped to her feet and staggered. Leatherpaw put out an arm to steady her. When she stood straight, he dropped to all fours and trundled back to his corner where he sat and was still, a shadowed scowl on his face.

Enya’s mass of curly auburn hair was askew, her bright green eyes shone with unshed tears, her pale cheeks were flushed nearly to the color of her hair. She stared at them and they stared at her.

Summer swallowed hard. “Um, Enya? I’m so sorry. I…”

Enya shook her head even as she reached back to rub at her bottom with one hand. “It’s my own fault.” Her tone was rueful.

“What was it like?” Jacoba asked.

Enya cocked her head. “Peculiar. Comforting, because he’s a very soft teddy bear. When he picked me up I felt enormously safe. But the actual…” she blushed and cleared her throat. “When he spanked me, it was… it stung. But not bad. And I felt very… um… naughty, I guess.” She laughed, but it was forced.

The kettle rattled and whistled. Summer busied herself with pouring them each a large mug of tea. She dug into one of the cupboards and withdrew a package of store-bought chocolate chip cookies. Enya had said it was her fault, but Summer was mortified. She had never thought one of her friends might get spanked by her teddy bear.

When the tea was poured and the cookies were plated and she couldn’t delay anymore, she left to kitchen to rejoin her friends. Enya’s fire was still too big to sit near comfortably, so they’d reconvened in the living room, though they’d moved their quilts and pillows and bedrolls as far from Leatherpaw as they could. Summer set the tea and cookies on the coffee table.

“I wonder though,” said Jacoba. “Is it just something dangerous, or will regular naughtiness get it to activate.”

“Um, what?” said Summer.

“Yeah,” said Chloe. “I wonder what we could do to test that. What’s a stereotypical naughty thing we could try?”

“Hey,” said Enya. “Do your parents have any alcohol in the house, Summer?”

Summer blinked around at them. “Are you guys serious?”

They blushed and looked away. Chloe picked up her mug of tea but didn’t drink any. Jacoba cleared her throat. Enya ran her palm along her hip softly. And Summer shrugged. She wanted their Autumnal Equinox together to be a bonding experience. She’d meant for them to meditate together, but perhaps this, too, could be a bonding experience.

“Well, you said it didn’t hurt too bad, right Enya?” Summer asked.

Enya nodded, blushing but grinning.

“All right.” Summer stood up and went back to the kitchen. On the top shelf of the cupboard above the refrigerator was where Summer’s parents kept the bottle of whisky they broke out for special occasions. She fetched the step stool, opened the cupboard and retrieved the bottle. She got one of the small, thick-bottomed glasses her parents used when they drank the stuff and took it all to the living room. Her friends sat around the coffee table, sipping tea and munching cookies. She poured a splash of whisky into the glass and set both on the coffee table.

She didn’t look at Leatherpaw, but she thought she saw him stir from the corner of her eye, felt him grumble disapprovingly.

For several moments, no one said anything. Summer sat, picked up her mug and took a long, fortifying swig of tea.

Then Chloe took a deep breath and stood up. She glanced around the group, then at Leatherpaw. With another breath, she picked up the glass. Leatherpaw shifted and this time his grumble was audible. For a moment, Summer thought Chloe would put the glass down, then her firend raised the glass in salute and drank the whisky in one go.

Leatherpaw leaned forward so his forepaws hit the floor then walked on all fours toward Chloe. The girls were still and silent, waiting with bated breath. Leatherpaw pushed up to stand upon his hind legs, then took the glass from Chloe between two of his carved-bone claws. He set the glass gently upon the coffee table, then wrapped Chloe in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her side, and lifted her off her feet.

Chloe made a sharp, high-pitched noise and tried to wiggle free for a moment. When she couldn’t get free, she relaxed into the embrace with an expression somewhere between surprised and content.

Leatherpaw leaned back and as he did, Chloe’s bright pink nightie slid up to reveal sunshine yellow underpanties with multicolored butterfly print. Once might have been an accident, but twice in a row made Summer think this was a deliberate part of the enchantment. Leatherpaw held Chloe tight with his left arm and raised his right.

He brought his paw upon her backside with a whap. Chloe squeaked, but in a sleepy sort of way, like it stung but didn’t hurt. He spanked her again and again, five slow, steady, chastising smacks.

When he set her down, Chloe gave a great, blustery sigh and scrubbed at her cheeks. Leatherpaw turned and dropped to all fours to head back to his corner. As he passed Summer he paused long enough to take a swipe with his right forepaw, catching her upon her bottom.

Summer squeaked and jumped and clapped both hands to her backside. It was a gentle sort of sting, kind and comforting, but also an admonition.

Leatherpaw made it back to his corner, turned, and sat.

“Well,” said Jacoba. She took a deep breath. “How was it?”

Chloe nodded. She cleared her throat. “Like Enya said. It stings a bit but was also… comfortable.” She rubbed her bottom through her bright pink nightie gently.” Then she blinked and looked at Summer. “But why did you get a smack?”

Summer cleared her throat and shrugged. “I think maybe because I’m the one who gave it to you, so I bear some responsibility.”

The girls all nodded thoughtfully.

With sudden decisiveness, Jacoba took hold of the bottle and poured a splash and a half in to the glass.

Leatherpaw grumbled ominously.

“Wait a minute,” said Summer.

“I want a turn,” said Jacoba.

Summer made a grab for the glass, but Jacoba gave her a shove and raised the glass to her lips.

Leatherpaw was upon Jacoba almost before she’d finished her drink. Jacoba gasped and coughed. Leatherpaw put a hand to her back and rubbed gently as she regained her breath, and with the other took the glass and set it back on the table. After Jacoba took a deep breath, Leatherpaw lifted her as he had the others, taking her off her feet and exposing her black, satin underpanties. Jacoba’s arms were wide, hugging the teddy bear’s wide shoulders as best she could.

Then Leatherpaw put a delicate claw into the waistband of Jacoba’s underpanties and pulled them to midthigh, careful not to tear them. Jacoba winced and squealed, but she leaned into Leatherpaw, hugging him tighter. Jacoba’s skin was dark and smooth, her bottom pert and rounded.

The girls held their collective breath.

Leatherpaw’s palm on Jacoba’s bare bottom snapped in the silence. Jacoba whimpered. A bright pink splotch bloomed on her naked, brown backside. Then another, and another and another. Summer counted silently as Leatherpaw’s palm and Jacoba’s muffled cries burned through the air in, rendering them all breathless.

_…five, …six_

Summer’s heart pounded in her throat, throbbed in her fingertips.

_…ten, …eleven_

Jacoba’s bottom bounced under the enormous leather palm, turning a deep, splotchy pink.

_…fourteen, …fifteen._

The girls took a collective breath when Leatherpaw stopped. It shuddered through the room. He leaned forward to put Jacoba upon her feet, but held on until she could stand on her own. Jacoba took slow, deep breaths. Tears slid down her cheeks. Her cheeks were flush.

Leatherpaw turned to Summer who shrank back. The teddy bear walked toward her, gait awkward on his hind legs. He took her by a shoulder, turned her around, and swatted her twice. Summer grunted. Then the teddy bear turned her around and gestured at the whisky bottle.

“Right. I will. Sorry.”

Summer gathered up the bottle and glass, taking them to the kitchen and putting them away. When she returned to the living room, the others were sitting close together around the coffee table, tea mugs in hand. Summer stopped, standing awkwardly. The evening hadn’t gone at all as she’d expected and now everything felt off, wrong, askew.

Jacoba looked up at her, sapphire eyes bright with tears, and smiled at her. “Come on,” she said, patting the spot next to her.

Relief tingling along her shoulders, Summer joined the others. She sipped at her tea and ate a few cookies. Enya grabbed one of the quilts and after a bit of doing they managed to get it long ways, draped across all their shoulders at once.

“This is like meditating,” Summer said, nose in her mug, tea nearly gone. She felt calm, centered, at peace.

“We could be the Sore Bottom Meditation Club,” Chloe said with a giggle.

“The Crimson Cheek Coven” said Jacoba.

“The Scarlet Stripe Adventuring Party,” said Enya.

The all giggled.

“You’re really all right?” Summer asked, looking at Jacoba.

Jacoba nodded. “There’s something about being hugged by a giant teddy bear that takes some of the sting out of a spanking.” Then she rubbed at her chest. “Wish I hadn’t drunk that whisky so fast though. I’ve got a bit of a belly ache.”

After a bit, Enya noted the fire in the patio fire pit had died down and they all went out to enjoy the evening of the Autumn Equinox, each with a folded quilt underarm. They pulled the wicker patio furniture close together. The moon shone bright and heavy and with a golden orange halo.

Ravens chattered from a nearby tree and Jacoba translated for them. “Some of the neighbor boys are about making mischief. They wanted to warn us.”

Enya tended the fire with both her power and the occasional log.

Chloe put a cozy enchantment on each of their quilts.

Summer made more tea, spooning a healthy dollop of honey, from bees she’d tended with her own light magic, into each mug

After another bit, Chloe cleared her throat. “So, I was kind of kidding earlier, but dancing naked in the moonlight is classic nature magic. Especially on a solstice or equinox. Even more so when the moon is so full.” She stood, letting her quilt fall and pulled her nightie over her head. “Anyone care to join me?”

There were several moments of awkward silence, then Summer stood, filled with sudden vigor and wild abandon. She pulled off her nightie, then pushed her underpanties down her legs before folding both garments neatly and setting them on her wicker chair. After several moments of scrambling, the four of them were off the patio, out into the grassy yard, dew sharply cold on their bare feet, naked beneath the moon, lit in deep shadow by the fire. They grasped hands and pranced in circles and cavorted like madchildren.

**• • •**

Maxwell Kingston, called the Stallion by his buddies, strode down the street on one of the best nights of the year. Sixth years at the Preparatory Academy for Boys, Max and his buddies were far too old for the door to door trick-or-treating that little kids engaged in, but there were the regular old tricks they could get up to. They’d hurled their toilet paper into trees and smashed a few pumpkin lanterns. Now they were roaming about, shoving each other good-naturedly and waiting for something interesting to happen.

He felt the magic first. Bursts of it, like a fit of giggles. He cast his gaze across the lamp-lit neighborhood, wondering what was up, if it would be interesting enough for him and his gang of buddies. Then he caught sight of it, sparkles of moonlight raining upon a backyard only a block and a half away. It caught him up, tugged at him, made him curious.

“What’s up, Stallion?”

“I see something…” Maxwell was the only mystical sensitive of his group of dozen or so boys. “Come on, lads. I think we’re about to have a very interesting night.”

The alleyway he led them to was concrete sloped to a gutter in the middle. Wooden fence pickets enclosed backyards. City trashcans stood silent sentinel here and there. Max thought he heard the scrabble and scratch of nighttime animals. An autumn-cool gust blew past them, and Max felt it pulling them toward those sparkles of magic.

“Quite now,” he cautioned. A dozen or so boys would have had a hard time being quiet when gathered, even more so on a night as full as mischief at the Autumnal Equinox. But when the Stallion spoke, the boys made the effort.

Presently, they came to the fence of a backyard beyond which came the flicker and crackle of a fire, the high-pitched giggles of girls.

“What the…” said one of the boys, only to be shushed by the rest.

“Hold the can,” Max said to the nearest of his compatriots. The other boy held to the large, plastic trashcan and Max clambered atop it. It was a sturdy trashcan, but not meant to carry the weight of a teenaged boy, so he made sure to balance his weight carefully and hold on to the fence. When he got his feet under him, hands atop the pickets of the backyard fence, Max gazed upon the scene before him.

Four girls held hands in a circle, naked to the world, and danced about by fire and moonlight, just like a scene from an old fairytale. There were two pale-skinned girls, one with flaming hair and one with golden. There were two brown skinned girls with honey hair and one with raven. The light of the moon glinted off their skin made them fairly glow.

Max nearly fell from his perch he was so startled.

“What do you see, Stallion?” one of his friends whispered.

“They’re naked,” he said in a voice thick with awe.

“What?”

“Who?”

“Naked?”

The excited whispers slithered through the gang of boys.

Max climbed back down and cast his gaze across the backyard fence. It was difficult to see with the light of the fire still in his eyes and the moon above casting hard shadows and the boys at his back jostling restlessly, but soon he found what he was looking for, a wrought iron handle on a gate to the backyard, likely only ever used to take out the trash.

Hoping against hope, Max pressed the button. The latch lifted and the gate opened a skosh. He could feel the boys pressing upon his back and knew he would be unable to hold them back for long, but he wanted a moment, just a moment, to himself. He held up a hand and the boys quieted. He pushed open the gate just enough and slipped through.

The first third of the yard, closest to the house, was taken up with a flagstone patio featuring a fire pit and wicker furniture. The rest was a grassy patch in the shadow of a giant oak. Max stood just inside the gate, just this side of the fence, in the deepest shadows available, and watched the girls for the moments afforded him. Here, he could see the details of them: budding curves and shining eyes and flushing cheeks. He was seized with a buzzing fascination and a driving eagerness.

The moment was broken when the bunch of boys in the alleyway spilled forth into the yard, a sudden cacophony of goggling and gasping and excited exclamations.

The girls turned to stare, wide-eyed and terrified. Max felt a pang of guilt. Then one of them screamed.

A great golden light burst forth from the house with a growling roar. In a moment, a giant brown bear with blazing yellow eyes and paws the size of dinner platters was upon the boys, batting them this way and that, hurling them over the fence and through the gate, swatting them about the shoulders and backsides, banishing them from the yard and sending them on their way, sore, frightened, and sorry. 

Maxwell Kingston hurried through the shadows, thinking only of getting home, rubbing and his suddenly sore bottom and full of wonder. The image of four naked girls imprinted upon him forever.

**• • •**

They hadn’t done anything wrong, not really. They were dancing about in the nude, sure, but they were in a private backyard. Perhaps the bursts of magic had been a bit irresponsible, perhaps it had attracted the attention of the boys, perhaps they’d ignored the warning of the ravens, but surely that wasn’t so bad. Surely soft old Leatherpaw wouldn’t spank them just for that. But the icy grip of embarrassed shame, of acknowledged naughtiness, of the surety of a spanking, gripped them hard. Each could feel it in the other, like they were of one mind.

Leatherpaw, a giant of light, turned his fearsome gaze upon the girls.

With a squeal, the four of them scrambled for the house. Leatherpaw gallomphed after. In a swirl of golden light and autumn wind, the guardian enchantment swooped the girls into its arms and bustled them inside, up the stairs, and into Summer’s bedroom. It locked all the doors, including the gate to the alleyway, and shut off all the lights but for that in the bedroom.

Gasping for breath and gathering her wits, Summer made certain first that each of her friends had made it inside. When she was certain all were safe, she began to fear for what came next. They were all still nude from tip to toe and a tingling sense of dread at their naked naughtiness tickled at their collective chest.

Then she saw Leatherpaw sitting with his back to the bedroom door, blocking the way, scowl deep and furious eyes glowing gold.

“What…” said Chloe.

“Oh no,” said Enya, seeing the teddy bear.

Jacoba covered her bare bottom with both hands.

Summer only sighed, resigned.

The enchantment took hold and each of the girls was raised to her tippy toes by a sharp tug upon her ear, then draped over a great, soft lap so neither her fingers nor toes could touch any firm surface. Summer had to admit the others had been right, being in the embrace of the teddy bear was enormously comforting. Even though she knew what came next, her shoulders eased and her heart settled and every part of her unclenched. She was safe and warm and protected. Then each girl felt a weight upon her back, a giant paw holding her in place over the furry lap.

A single leather paw cracked across four naked bottoms at once. Each in her own plush embrace, each in her own frantic thoughts, each across the lap of a magically conjured guardian, cried out at the same time. Comforting warmth spread through the girls while a chastening fire sang high upon their nates. Leatherpaw spanked the girls scarlet from the tops of their knees to the bottoms of their back, each pert bottom bouncing and burning, each naughty girl sobbing and squirming. He spanked them with all the cantankerous frustration of an older brother pushed too far, a protector fed up with his charges’ carelessness. And when he was done, when each girl was sobbing and contrite, he tucked them in upon the bedrolls, piled with quilts, snuggling close, crying into their pillows, and soon fast asleep. 


End file.
